Method of and apparatus for handling or controlling quicksand



(No Model.)

- O. HORTON.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HANDLING OR GONTROLLING QUIGKSAND.

No. 508,714. Patented Nov. 14, 1893.

INVENTUR m2 NATIONAL umueRAPnms COMPANY. WASHINGTON. o, r:v

UNITED STAT -s PATENT OFFICE.

CALVIN HOR TON',OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR HA ND LING OR CONTROLLING QUICKSAND.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 508,714, dated November 14, 1893.

Application filed July 1893.

' To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CALVIN HORTON, of

Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of and Apparatus for Handling or Controlling Qulcksand, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the construction of sewers and other excavations where layers of quicksand or equivalent material are liable to be encountered.

In the construction of the metropolitan system of sewerage now in progress in Boston and vicinity, much difficulty has been experienced in certain locations from quicksand below the excavation, said quicksand. being raised by water from a water-bearing stratum of gravel below it, the water being under pressure, so that it carries the quicksand upwardly through the intermediate earth or clay into the trench or excavation, causing what are known as boiling springs of quicksand, the result being a very serious accumulation of quicksand in the trench and the demoralization of the walls or supports of the trench. In proceeding to remedy this difficulty, I have made the invention which I will now proceed to describe and claim,

0f the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification: Figure 1 represents a transverse section of a sewer-excavation, showing quicksand-quieting apparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a top View of a portion of the excavation.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in both the figures.

Referring to Fig. 1, a represents a trench or excavation, which has been dug through a stratum b of clay, overlying a stratum c of fine sand or Silt, known as quicksand, the latter overlying a stratum d of coarse gravel, which may be supposed to be supplied with water under suificient pressure to cause the water to rise through the quicksand to a considerable height in the trench a. Under these circumstances, it is found that the quicksand is raised by the water pressure and boils upwardly intothe trench, creating very serious obstruction to the Work. I have over- Serial N0.480,566. (NomodeL) come this difficulty by driving a series of wells e, each of which is or may be an ordinary driven well having a suitable perforating point and strainer at its lower end. Said wells are connected. at their upper ends by means of pipes fand couplings f with a suitable pump g,which, as hereshown, is a duplex steam pump, receiving the water through a sand-box g. In practice, I have driven the wells about eight feet (8) apart, and have connected about eight (8) or ten (10) wells to one pump. I have found that, after pumping a few hours, the boiling springs of quicksand entirely ceased, and the quicksand remaining in the trench was solidified to such an extent that it could be readily shoveled out. I also found that, when it was necessary to excavate directly from the layer 0 of quicksand, the removal of water, as above described, so quieted and solidified the quicksand that it could be freely handled with a shovel.

The wells may be driven so that their lower ends will be within the stratum c of quicksand, instead of in the lower stratum d, in which case the wells should be provided with jacket-strainers, adapted to prevent the admission of sand to the wells to such an extent as to obstruct the same.

I claim 1. Theimproved method of making trenches in or over quicksand or silt, the same consisting in removing water from the quicksand simultaneously from a number of points or localities in the quicksand,.thereby solidifying the latter, and then removing the solidified quicksand, as set forth.

2. The improved. method of making excavations in or over quicksand or silt, the same consisting in driving a series of tubular wells below the material to be excavated, connecting said wells with a pump, simultaneously drawing water through said wells and thereby quieting or solidifying the quicksand, and then removing the solidified quicksand.

3. As a means for controlling quicksand or silt in trenches, the combination of a series of driven wells, couplings f connected with the upper ends of said wells, pipes fconnecting said couplings, said pipes and couplings constituting a conduit with which all the two subscribing witnesses, tl1is 7th day of driven wells communicate, and a pump con- July, A. D. 1893.

nected with said conduit and adapted to draw CALVIN HORTON. slmultaneously from all the wells of the se- 5 ries, as set forth. Witnesses:

In testimony whereof I have signed my C. F. BROWN,

name to this specification, in the presence of A. D. HARRISON. 

